With Aoi
Aoi woke up and yawned, she had gotten a good night's rest for the first time in a while. Knowing that Giyuu was supportive of her decision to leave the Demon Slayer corps had taken a massive weight off her conscience.
She finished getting ready for the day, she still wore her corps uniform, which thanks to Giyuu was a pair of blue pants and matching long sleeve shirt with a white belt instead of the skirt and open shirt she had been offered. She pulled on her Haori and exited her room. As usual she went and woke up the girls, which was often a challenge and ordered them to get ready for the day. She then moved to the kitchen and made the girls breakfast. As Sumi, Kiyo and Naho began to eat she decided to check on Giyuu.
"Good morning Giyuu-sama, how are you feeling this morning?" She asked, opening the door.
After not receiving an immediate response, she turned and looked at his bed and panicked when he wasn't there. She ran out of the room and called out for Shinobu. Running through the halls of the mansion she opened the door to a few separate rooms.
After checking through a lot of the rooms she made her way to the exit of the mansion that led to the garden.
"Shinobu-sama!" She called out.
She immediately froze when she saw the scene from the night before.
Giyuu and Shinobu were still asleep together on the floor of the patio, but as some point during the night Shinobu had moved and was now in a cuddle position with Giyuu, snuggling into his body with her arm around him.
Aoi froze and stared at the two for a moment.
"G...G...G...G... Giyuu-sama?" She asked.
Giyuu began to stir and sat up, Shinobu's arm fell from his body without him noticing. He rubbed his eyes and woke up properly, then turned to look at the source of the noise that woke him up.
"Oh, good morning Aoi, how are you?" Giyuu asked.
Aoi didn't respond, instead continuing to look at the two. Giyuu noticed this and looked down at Shinobu who still hadn't woken up. He blushed a bit, remembering that the two had fallen asleep together out there.
"What are you..." Aoi started.
Giyuu brought a finger to his lips and shushed Aoi.
"She needs sleep." He explained quietly.
Aoi continued to look in shock, completely unsure of what she was seeing, Giyuu motioned for to come over and she began to walk towards them hesitantly.
"I can't walk by myself, please help me up." He said.
Aoi of course helped him up. Giyuu took of his Haori and laid it on top of Shinobu's sleeping body, who quickly grasped it and brought it close. Aoi blushed at the sight but helped Giyuu inside.
"Can we please go to the kitchen? I am hungry." Giyuu said.
"Of course, would you like me to make you some breakfast?" Aoi asked, clearly still flustered.
"Yes please." Giyuu responded.
The two made their way into the kitchen / dining room area and Aoi began to make Giyuu some food. Sumi, Kiyo and Naho had already finished their food and left the room, leaving Giyuu and Aoi alone.
Giyuu sat and thought for a moment, the conversation he had the night before brought him a lot of clarity and peace of mind. Since waking up from his coma he still hadn't fully processed what had happened to him. He'd missed 2 months of his life The fact that he had been so close to death made sense to him, he did fight an upper moon by himself, but hearing how hard Shinobu worked made him feel happy.
She really is a great person. Giyuu thought. He felt something weird rise in his stomach and his chest but ignored it.
"Here's your breakfast Giyuu-sama." Aoi said, a hint of nervousness still in his voice.
"Thank you." He said, taking the plate and beginning to eat.
Aoi sat down across from him and stayed quiet, struggling to process the events of the morning. Giyuu looked up and saw her face and was confused.
"Are you okay?" Giyuu asked.
"Oh... yeah... I'm fine." Aoi said.
"You look a little off. Did something happen?" Giyuu asked.
Aoi paused for a moment, thinking about what to say.
"D... Did you and Shinobu-sama sleep together?" She asked nervously.
"Yes." Giyuu said.
Aoi's face changed, her jaw dropped and she turned red. She knew the two were asleep together, but for Giyuu to admit it so casually was shocking.
"So, you're dating now?" She asked loudly.
Giyuu choked on a bit of food and began to cough.
"What?" He asked, recovering from his coughing fit.
Aoi didn't respond but kept looking at him.
"No, we're not." He said awkwardly.
"But you just said you two slept together." Aoi persisted.
"Yes, we were sleeping next to each other." Giyuu explained.
Aoi continued to stare at him, clearly invested.
"She came to my room and was going to tell me what was said at the meeting. I asked if we could talk outside because I was sick of being stuck inside so we moved outside. We talked for a while, and she fell asleep. I couldn't move by myself, so I stayed out there as well." Giyuu explained in a flustered way. Aoi's questioning had clearly thrown him off his game.
Aoi took a moment and processed what Giyuu had said. Realising she had assumed the wrong thing.
"I'm sorry." She said, embarrassed.
"It's fine." Giyuu said, avoiding eye contact with the girl.
Is he... being shy? Aoi thought.
A month later.
Giyuu's recovery was going well. His wounds had all closed, but the internal damage still troubled him. The poison was now completely gone from his system, but it had left him weak. The bruising caused by the internal bleeding was still there and the scars were brutal looking. Shinobu worked with him every day and he was now able to walk around by himself, though his stamina was completely destroyed.
Giyuu was on his knees and breathing heavily in the garden and Shinobu was taking care of him.
"Very good Tomioka-san, that's the furthest you've gone so far." She said happily.
Giyuu did not respond, still trying to catch his breath.
"Here have some of this." Shinobu said, handing him a bottle.
Giyuu took a drink and instantly spat it back out. The taste was bitter, much like the medicine she had been given him.
"What is that?" Giyuu asked, the bad taste still affecting him.
"It's a recovery drink, now stop spitting it out, it will help." Shinobu said.
Giyuu hesitantly drank from the bottle and began to feel a bit better.
"Thank you." He said.
"TOMIOKA-SAN!!!!" A voice yelled from across the garden.
Giyuu turned and saw a familiar pink and green blur rushing towards him. Shinobu offered her hand which Giyuu took and stood up.
Shinobu stood in front of Giyuu, shielding him, and held her hand up causing Mitsuri to stop abruptly in front of her.
"You need to be gentle; he's still not healed." She ordered sternly, an aura of authority surrounding her.
Scary. Giyuu thought.
"Shinobu-chan, please you can't deny me this, you know how worried I've been." Mitsuri pleaded.
Shinobu sighed and stepped to the side.
"Please be careful." Giyuu begged.
Mitsuri started to cry and hugged him. She remembered to be careful and Giyuu returned the hug.
"You had us all so worried." Mitsuri said.
"Thank you for worrying, but I am okay now." Giyuu reassured her.
"Shall we go inside? It's time for your lunch Tomioka-san." Shinobu asked.
"Yes please." Giyuu said.
Shinobu walked up to Giyuu and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. After his walking exercises he always struggled to walk back to the house, so Shinobu had to support him.
Mitsuri saw the two and squealed. Her face instantly went red.
"H... How long have you two been...?" She asked.
"For the last couple of weeks, ever since I was able to walk again." Giyuu answered, unaware of Mitsuri's true question.
"YOU'RE SERIOUS, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!" Mitsuri yelled.
"Mitsuri we are not dating." Shinobu said. Causing Mitsuri's face to drop. Giyuu blushed a little, which the others did not notice.
"Whaaaaatttt?" Mitsuri asked disappointedly.
"What? She didn't ask that. She asked how long you had been helping me walk." Giyuu said.
"Mitsuri-chan, what were you asking?" Shinobu asked the disappointed girl.
"How long you two had been dating." Mitsuri admitted.
"What?" Giyuu asked confused.
"But I thought you meant how long had she been helping me walk." Giyuu admitted.
"Oh Tomioka-san, you have a lot to learn." Shinobu laughed.
The three made their way inside and Giyuu and Mitsuri sat down at the dining room table.
"You two catch up, I'll be back with your lunch Tomioka-san." Shinobu said.
"What are you making today?" Giyuu asked.
"What would you like?" Shinobu asked.
"Whatever is easiest." Giyuu said.
"That's not what I asked Tomioka-san." Shinobu said.
Giyuu stayed silent for a moment, thinking about what he wanted.
"Would you like me to make the salmon dish again? You liked it last time." Shinobu asked.
Giyuu's face brightened, and he looked up at her.
"Yes please." Giyuu said.
"Then consider it done, I got extra salmon just for you in the last food shop." Shinobu said.
"Thank you, I appreciate it." Giyuu said happily.
Mitsuri admired the interaction between the two and smiled.
"Do you want anything Mitsuri-chan?" Shinobu asked.
"No... I am okay." Mitsuri said.
"Please don't tell me you're thinking of dieting again." Giyuu said.
"No Tomioka-san, it's just I'm meeting someone afterwards for lunch and I do not want to spoil my appetite." Mitsuri explained.
"I see." Giyuu said.
"Well then, I will be back soon." Shinobu said, leaving to cook.
"So, Oyakata-sama told us briefly about what happened, and Shinobu-chan told us you saved Aoi. But what actually happened?" Mitsuri asked.
Giyuu explained everything. From what he was doing the day of the mission to arriving and finding Aoi. He then explained everything about the fight and his injuries which caused Mitsuri to widen her eyes in shock and cover her open mouth with her hand. He then explained how long he'd been in a coma for and what had happened since he woke up, leaving out the part of Shinobu and him sleeping next to each other.
"Wow." Mitsuri said.
"If Kocho did not work so hard I would have died." Giyuu said.
Mitsuri thought for a bit and then moved over to hug him. Giyuu reciprocated the hug.
"You were so brave, thank you Tomioka-san. We all would've missed Aoi." Mitsuri said, ending the hug and sitting back down.
"It wasn't a difficult decision. I would have done anything to make sure she was safe." Giyuu said.
"I don't doubt it." Mitsuri said, smiling.
Shinobu returned with two plates, she put the first one in front of Giyuu and the second one next to him. She took a seat next to him, exciting Mitsuri.
They're even sitting together, how cuuuuuute. Mitsuri thought.
Giyuu smiled at Shinobu and thanked her, then began to eat.
"Tomioka-san smiling? I assumed those were reserved for Aoi." Mitsuri asked.
"You'd be surprised, he seems to have finally softened up a bit." Shinobu said with a laugh.
Giyuu ignored the two and kept eating the dish Shinobu had made for him. Shinobu joined him in eating and Mitsuri smiled.
Just like a couple. I must ask Aoi if there has been any progress. Mitsuri thought.
The three continued to talk and catch up. Mitsuri interrogated Giyuu about his stay at the mansion and almost died when Giyuu mentioned how much he had enjoyed time he had been spending with Shinobu, despite how strict she had been with him. After an hour it was time for Giyuu to continue his rehab training and Mitsuri to leave to meet someone for lunch.
"You can visit whenever you'd like. He's not going anywhere for a while." Shinobu said.
"I'll keep that in mind, I will see you two very soon." Mitsuri said happily.
Shinobu and Giyuu turned to leave, Giyuu was walking slowly and unassisted, but Shinobu was ready to help him if needed it.
Mitsuri smiled while looking at the two. In her mind her ship was finally sailing.
"Oh, hi Mitsuri-sama, how long have you been here?" Aoi asked.
Shinobu smiled and turned around.
"Aoi-chan, come with me." Mitsuri said, taking her into another room.
She quickly scanned the room, making sure no one was there. Once she knew they were alone she turned to Aoi and smiled excitedly.
"Tell me. What's their progress?" Mitsuri asked.
Aoi smiled back at Mitsuri and told her about everything she had seen. Shinobu taking care of Giyuu almost 24/7, not even allowing others to see him. She mentioned how much time they had spent together during rehab, how happy Giyuu had seemed while spending time with her.
"Oh, and there was something else, more exciting." Aoi said.
"What, come on tell me already." Mitsuri begged.
"It was about a week after Giyuu-sama had woken up. I woke up and was doing my morning duties when I saw them sleeping next to each other on the patio. Shinobu-sama was even snuggling him." Aoi said.
Mitsuri's face turned a deep shade of red and steam appeared from her ears. She began to feel dizzy and fell to the ground.
"Mitsuri-sama, Mitsuri-sama. Are you okay?" Aoi asked, checking on the love pillar who was mumbling to herself on the ground.
A Few Weeks Later
Shinobu and Giyuu were working on his rehab together, they walked the garden together which he was now able to do without falling over.
"You're doing very well, do you think you can move a bit faster?" Shinobu asked.
"I can try." Giyuu responded.
Giyuu then picked up his pace, beginning to jog. He managed to continue this pace for a while, but then stopped. He was out of breath, his stamina was still very low. Shinobu stood next to him and handed him some water, which he drank quickly.
"Thank you." He said handing her the bottle back.
"This is good progress, now come on you have visitors." Shinobu said.
She began to walk away but Giyuu grabbed her shoulder, causing her to turn around.
"Help... please." Giyuu said, still out of breath.
Shinobu laughed and quickly moved back to him. He put his arm around her again and the two began to walk back to the house.
"TOMIOKA, HOW ARE YOU FEELING?" Rengoku asked excitedly.
"Hello Rengoku, I am fine thank you." Giyuu said.
"Tomioka-san!" A female voice called out.
Giyuu turned and saw the Uzui family, Tengen, Hinatsuru, Makio and Suma looked excited to see him and they all quickly moved over to him and brought him into a group hug.
"I am glad to see you back on your feet, how is the recovery going?" Tengen asked.
"Good, I am able to walk again by myself, Kocho has been very helpful." Giyuu said.
"She is an expert." Rengoku said enthusiastically.
"I am glad to hear it. We heard from Kocho that you had woken up and thought we'd stop by on the way to our next mission." Tengen explained.
"I see, are you all teaming together?" Giyuu asked.
"Yes, we're going to explore an area that has reports of a large amount of people going missing. It's either a member of the Kizuki staking their claim to a region, or a new demon feeding on as many people as possible. Either way the master did not want to take any chances with one of us running into an upper moon alone again." Tengen explained.
"I see. That is smart." Giyuu said, a hint of sadness in his voice.
"Perhaps when you return to duty we'll be partnered again. We're not doing the partnerships exactly as we were doing them before, mainly because of Kocho and yourself currently being unavailable." Tengen said.
"Yeah, Tengen-sama wouldn't stop going on about how much fun he had after our mission together." Hinatsuru said.
"Yeah Tomioka-san, he seriously likes you, it's almost creepy." Makio said.
"I don't think it's creepy." Suma said nervously.
"Of course you don't you little suck up." Makio said.
"But you were saying you thought it was cute how worried Tengen-sama was for Tomioka-san. So it's not that creepy right." Suma argued.
The two kept arguing causing the rest of the group to laugh, while Giyuu smiled.
The group stayed and talked for a while before eventually departing for their mission. Giyuu appreciated the company, and it was good to know that people cared about him so much.
Five Months Later.
Sounds of clashing metal could be heard coming from the garden of the Butterfly Mansion. Giyuu and Shinobu were currently sparring, Giyuu was still moving slower than usual, but he had recovered quite well. He could move without anything hurting, his wounds were gone, leaving only scars behind. His overall physical capabilities were lower than before, but he was able to use his breathing techniques again.
Shinobu poked at him with her sword, but he managed to dodge. Launching a few slashes of his own, Shinobu dodged each of them with relative ease, except for the final one, that grazed her arm.
"ara ara, so aggressive Tomioka-san, you wouldn't be trying to hurt me, would you?" Shinobu asked, faking a worried tone.
Giyuu lowered his sword, concerned that he had overdid it, but was surprised when Shinobu thrusted her sword forward and landed a shot on his chest. The swords were of course blunted sparring swords, allowing for the two to go all out without hurting one another.
"Tomioka-san, I can't believe you fell for that, perhaps I softened you up too much." Shinobu joked.
"I thought I'd hurt you." Giyuu said some concern in his voice.
Shinobu walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry, I was only kidding. You'll need to work on that before you return." Shinobu said.
"Understood." Giyuu replied.
The two continued to spar and train for the next hour, then stopped, satisfied with their progress for the day. They walked inside and ate dinner together, enjoying each other's company as usual.
"I think I'm ready to return to duty." Giyuu said.
"I agree. You've completed the rehabilitation program, and your injuries have healed, all you need now is some battlefield experience and physical training and you'll be back to your usual self." Shinobu said.
Giyuu shuddered as he thought about the rehab program. Sumi, Kiyo and Naho had pulled on his body, stretching him as far as his muscles would allow. Shinobu had beat him at the cup game almost every day and had been covered in medicine several times, and the games of tag... who knew such a fun childhood game could be so draining.
"You have done so much for me. How can I repay what you've done?" Giyuu asked.
"Stop being ridiculous, you saved Aoi. Me taking care of you was paying you back for that." Shinobu said.
Giyuu smiled and nodded, acknowledging her feelings.
"Will you return to duty as well?" Giyuu asked.
"Yes. Now that I do not have to worry about you, it is time I return to my responsibilities." Shinobu said.
"What about your responsibilities here? How do you manage to balance them?" Giyuu asked.
"Fortunately, Aoi has become capable enough to run this place by herself for long periods of time, so that will not be an issue." Shinobu explained.
"I'm glad." Giyuu said.
The two finished their dinner and Giyuu helped Shinobu clean the dishes.
"You should send a message to the master saying you're ready to work again." Shinobu said.
"Perhaps we'll be partnered again." Giyuu said.
"I would like that. Though based on your luck with missions and injuries I think I'd rather be partnered with Mitsuri-chan." Shinobu joked, earning a small laugh from Giyuu.
"You should smile and laugh more. You have a warm personality deep down, I'm sure others would appreciate it." Shinobu suggested.
"Maybe I will." Giyuu said.
The two finished their chores for the night and sent messages via their crows that they were becoming active in the field again.
A crow arrived the next day announcing a Hashira meeting for the end of the week. After spending the rest of the week together continuing to train Shinobu and Giyuu made their way to the meeting together.
On their way to the Hashira Meeting
"Remember Tomioka-san, you promised me you'd come to the after meeting get together." Shinobu said.
Giyuu sighed but agreed, still feeling like he owed Shinobu for how good she had been treating him.
"Don't worry Tomioka-san, as your best friend I will be there to keep you company so you wont have to venture outside your comfort zone.
"Thank you." Giyuu said.
Shinobu continued to walk in front of him and he looked at her. He felt something in his chest and his heart rate rose. Giyuu was unsure what was going on with him but continued to walk.
At the Hashira Meeting Hours Later.
Shinobu and Giyuu entered together and saw that they were the last to arrive. Mitsuri cheered and ran over to them.
"Welcome back you two, we have missed you both." Mitsuri said, hugging the two.
"Making their entrance together, how flashy." Tengen said to Rengoku.
"I agree, a great way to return." Rengoku agreed.
"What are you going on about now?" Sanemi asked annoyed.
"Nothing to concern yourself with my aggressive friend." Tengen said.
"Now I am going to say hello to our friends, will you join me?" Tengen asked.
"OF COURSE!" Rengoku said enthusiastically.
Sanemi grunted in response, refusing to move.
Tengen and Rengoku joined Mitsuri and began talking to their friends.
"Oh Tomioka, you have to come meet our new comrade. He's a very talented boy, did you hear he had only been a Demon Slayer for two months before he became a Hashira?" Tengen asked.
"I did." Giyuu answered.
Shinobu noticed his hesitancy and grabbed his hand.
"Come on, you're going to introduce yourself like a normal person." Shinobu ordered, leading him towards the new Hashira.
The two walked away from Mitsuri, Rengoku and Tengen.
"Makio is right, they totally like each other." Tengen said, beginning to laugh.
"I AGREE!" Rengoku said.
"I can't wait until they get together." Mitsuri added, hearts in her eyes.
Shinobu and Giyuu made their way over to a young boy who was looking up at the clouds. He didn't seem to notice them and Giyuu remained silent.
Shinobu nudged him on the arm and motioned toward the boy. Giyuu got the message and spoke up.
"Hello."
"Oh, hello." The boy responded, still not looking at him.
Shinobu turned to Giyuu and gave him a stern look, he got the message and spoke again.
"My name is Tomioka Giyuu. I am a fellow Hashira; it is nice to meet you." Giyuu said.
"Oh really? I think someone mentioned you before. I can't remember though." The boy said looking down from the cloud and looking at the two.
"Oh, Kocho. How are you?" The boy asked.
"I am fine Tokito-san." Shinobu said.
"I am Tokito Muichiro, what type of cloud do you think that is?" Muichiro asked Giyuu.
Giyuu looked to the sky and noticed the white and fluffy clouds above.
"I believe they're called cumulus clouds." Giyuu answered.
"I think it looks like a dragon. But I like your answer." Muichiro said.
"The master has arrived, the master has arrived." A voice called out.
The Hashira quickly moved to their positions and knelt down respectfully. Kagaya walked to the stage-like patio and smiled at the pillars.
"Oyakata-sama, we continue to pray for your health and well-being." Gyomei said.
"Thank you again Gyomei. I hope you are all doing well." The master said.
"I'm glad to see you all here, it has been a long time since I have seen you all." Kagaya said.
The Hashira smiled at master's kind words.
"Giyuu, I am beyond happy to see you here once again. Your bravery and dedication have been exemplary. I'm sure your fellow pillars are excited to see you once again." Kagaya said kindly.
"Thank you, Oyakata-sama." Giyuu responded.
"The reason I called this meeting is to announce that the team initiative will be returning soon. We of course had to put it on hold while Giyuu recovered and Shinobu took her leave of absence. Again, we will be rotating partners on a monthly basis. Until then you will all continue solo missions unless specified otherwise, except for Shinobu and Giyuu you two will take your missions together until Giyuu has returned to his typical condition." Kagaya said.
Mitsuri and Tengen smiled at each other while Giyuu and Shinobu nodded at the master.
Kagaya went on to talk about recent concerning reports that were relevant for a few minutes.
"This will be our last meeting for this year, with Final Selection so soon, I have a lot of work to do as I'm sure some of you do." Kagaya said.
"That is all for now my pillars. I bid you farewell and wish you all luck with your missions." Kagaya continued.
"Thank you, Oyakata-sama." The Hashira said in unison.
Kagaya left and the Hashira began to talk amongst each other, for once Giyuu remained.
"So where shall we go for food this time?" Rengoku asked.
"I VOTE WESTERN FOOD." Mitsuri said excitedly.
"I agree." Obanai said.
"I don't mind, if Kanroji is so insistent then I agree on Western Food." Tengen said.
The group agreed to western food, while Giyuu remained silent.
"I've never had western food." Giyuu said.
The Hashira all looked at Giyuu a bit confused, except for Mitsuri, Shinobu and Muichiro, who was looking at the sky again. Rengoku, Tengen and Gyomei were a bit surprised. While Sanemi and Obanai were shocked, their eyes wide.
"What? You're coming." Rengoku asked.
"Yes. I promised Kocho I would join you all. I'm sorry, if I am not welcome, I won't impose." Giyuu said.
"Don't be ridiculous Tomioka, of course you're welcome. Now come, we must celebrate this moment with a drink." Tengen suggested, walking off with his arm around Giyuu.
"He is not allowed to drink yet." Shinobu said, following the two.
Obanai and Sanemi continued to look at the interaction confused. First, Giyuu actually spoke, second, he was willingly hanging out with people, and finally, keeping a promise? Who was this and what had happened to Giyuu?
"Iguro-san, Shinazugawa-san come on I'm hungry." Mitsuri said.
The two snapped out of it and joined the group. Tengen still had Giyuu under his arm and was making grand proclamations of the strongest team returning and the trouble the two would cause that night.
"I'll remind you again, Tomioka-san is not allowed to consume any alcohol yet." Shinobu said to the man.
Tengen dropped his arm from around Giyuu and turned around smirking at Shinobu. Giyuu continued to walk, now being joined by Rengoku.
"So protective Kocho, it seems that you two may have grown closer in the months since you've been gone. Did you by any chance manage to melt the icy heart of Tomioka? Or were you drawn in by his mysterious aura?" Tengen asked.
Shinobu blushed and looked away from the gossiping man, causing him to laugh.
"It seems like I may have nailed it." Tengen said.
"You've been talking to Mitsuri-chan too much." Shinobu said, still blushing.
Tengen laughed and the group made their way into town.
Hey everyone. So I know this chapter took a little longer than my previous ones have but I've got a pretty good reason. So a few days ago I caught Covid and it hit me pretty hard. I won't go into the details of how I was feeling because it's pretty gross but it was bad enough to put me in hospital for a couple of days. But don't worry I'm back home now. Enjoy the chapter, and expect another one in the next couple of days, it's not like there's much else I can do lol. But yeah sorry for the wait I just couldn't write in the condition I was in, I'm still sick, but I can actually think and write now.